Department for Transport

European Aviation Safety Agency

lord kinnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer given byBaroness Sugg on 17 January (HL Deb, col 637), in which she stated that "continued membership of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is a possibility and we are considering it", whether it is envisaged that the UK will, in the event of continued EASA membership after Brexit, accept (1) all EASA rules and regulations, and (2) the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

baroness sugg: It is the Government’s intention to maintain consistently high standards of aviation safety once we have left the EU. As part of the exit negotiations the Government will discuss with the EU and Member States how best to continue cooperation in the field of aviation safety and standards. The Government has been clear that the UK should no longer be subject to direct CJEU jurisdiction after it has left the EU. There are models which already allow non-EU countries, such as Switzerland, to participate in the EASA system.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the estimate made by the Local Government Association that it will cost £12 billion to bring roads in England “up to scratch”.

baroness sugg: Local authorities are responsible for around 97.5% of all roads, by length, in England. The Department for Transport has made no assessment of the £12 billion estimate made by the Local Government Association. However, the report “Fixing the foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation” published by HM Treasury in July 2015 included an estimate of the backlog of maintenance works on the local road network, at that time was between £4.3 billion and £8.6 billion. The Department for Transport is providing over £6 billion to local highway authorities between 2015 and 2021, and the Official Statistics published in January 2018 on road condition show that our investment is making a difference. ‘A’ roads and ‘B’ and ‘C’ roads combined have seen a gradual improvement (i.e. fewer roads should have been considered for maintenance) in the last five years.

Cycleways: City of Westminster

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Westminster Council in relation to the Council’s objections to the proposed Cycle Superhighway Route 11; and what were the details of any such discussions.

baroness sugg: Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London, and delivered by Transport for London. Transport policy, including the construction of cycle superhighways, is for the Mayor to determine.Ministers in the Department for Transport have had no discussions with Westminster Council about the proposed Cycle Superhighway Route 11.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Iresa

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the one-off charges received by customers of the energy company Iresa; and what steps they will take to protect consumers in similar circumstances in future.

lord henley: Ofgem, as the responsible regulator, are aware of concerns around the one-off payment requested by Iresa, and are discussing these issues with the company. Under the Direct Debit Guarantee, organisations have to give advance notice of any change to the payment arrangement. If a payment by direct debit has been taken in error, consumers are entitled to a full and immediate refund. Energy suppliers are also obliged to take customers’ ability to pay debt into account when setting up repayment plans.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Afghanistan: Peace Negotiations

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will be attending the forthcoming meeting of the Kabul Process for Peace and Security Co-operation in February; and what assessment they have made of whether women from civil society in Afghanistan will also be in attendance.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Gareth Bayley, will attend the Kabul Process for Peace and Security Cooperation which is due to take place during the latter part of February.The Afghan Government has not yet finalised the format of the meeting. We continue to encourage the Government of Afghanistan to involve women, including from civil society, in efforts towards a peace process. We also recognise your contribution, including your recent visit to Kabul.

Turkey: Syria

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the issue of aggression by Turkey in Syria will shortly be discussed at the UN Security Council; and whether any progress towards a ceasefire in, or withdrawal from, Afrin Canton was achieved, at the recent intergovernmental meeting in Paris.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The situation in Syria, including Afrin, was discussed in the UN Security Council on Monday 22 January and the Foreign Secretary attended a meeting on Syria in Paris on 23 January to discuss how best to make progress towards a political solution to the Syrian conflict. In all our diplomatic engagement we have urged Turkey to avoid any escalation in violence and to seek to protect civilians, while recognising its legitimate interest in the security of its borders. It remains in our shared interest to focus on achieving a political settlement that ends the war in Syria, and provides stability for all Syrians and the wider region.

Burma: Rohingya

baroness kinnock of holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that the repatriation of any of the Rohingya people from Bangladesh is entirely voluntary.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government has been clear throughout the current crisis that the Rohingya refugees who have fled into Bangladesh must be able to return to their homes in Burma voluntarily. The UK proposed and secured a UN Security Council Presidential Statement on 6 November which called for these conditions to be met and urged the Governments of Burma and Bangladesh to invite the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to participate fully in the implementation of any returns process. The British Ambassador underlined the importance of the Government of Burma allowing UNHCR monitoring to ensure these conditions are met in his meeting with the Minister for the Office of the State Counsellor on 11 January.

Burma: Rohingya

baroness kinnock of holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to secure the (1) civil rights, (2) personal human rights, (3) land ownership rights, and (4) security, of any Rohingya people returned to Burma under the repatriation agreement made by the government of Burma with Bangladesh.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK proposed and secured the 6 November UN Security Council Presidential Statement, which called on the Governments of Burma and Bangladesh to ensure the repatriation of refugees is safe, voluntary and in dignity. It also called on the Government of Burma to protect its population and promote and protect human rights, without discrimination and regardless of ethnicity or religion, including by allowing freedom of movement, equal access to basic services, and equal access to full citizenship for all individuals. The British Ambassador to Burma emphasised the importance of the implementation of the Rakhine Advisory Commission recommendations, which is central to progress on all of these issues, in his meeting with the Minister of the Office of the State Counsellor on 11 January.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reforms introduced in Zimbabwe by President Mnangagwa; and whether they plan to provide any assistance in implementing those reforms.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We welcome President Mnangagwa's commitment to holding free, fair and credible elections, with international observation. We are also encouraged by the political and economic reforms announced by the Zimbabwean government in recent weeks, including plans to amend the indigenisation law. The Minister for Africa visited Zimbabwe on 1 and 2 February and met President Mnangagwa. She welcomed his commitment to political and economic reform and made clear that implementation of these reforms will enable the UK, together with the wider international community, to consider what support we can provide.

India: State Visits

lord northbrook: To ask Her Majesty's Government when consideration was last given to investigating the possibility of arranging a State Visit to the UK by the President of India.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK has excellent relations with the Government of India and there is an extensive range of two-way visits by members of each government. As a matter of policy, the Government does not discuss or disclose the details of possible visits by Heads of State or Government until invitations have been issued and accepted, and any announcement is made by agreement with the visiting Head of State or Government.

Cameroon: Human Rights

lord northbrook: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the human rights record of Cameroon and the impact, if any, this is having on anglophone Cameroon.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Cameroon is a State Party to major human rights instruments such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It has, however, signed but not ratified a number of significant instruments.In recent years Cameroon's far north has been blighted by Boko Haram and this has led to the introduction of strict anti-terror laws. Human rights non-governmental organisations report that the Government of Cameroon is using this legislation to arrest and detain Anglophone separatists. Our High Commissioner in Yaoundé met President Biya on 21 December 2017 and emphasised the Government of Cameroon's legal obligations in respect of human rights.

India: Environment Protection

lord northbrook: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of UK–India cooperation on environmental policy.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK and India collaborate across the full range of environmental issues, including access to affordable and clean energy, mobilisation of green finance, development of climate-resilient infrastructure, and sustainable urban development.The first India-UK Energy for Growth Dialogue was held in April 2017 in New Delhi. It provided an enhanced framework for UK-India cooperation to increase interest and deals in the renewables sector. The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary, Greg Clark, announced up to £20 million of new technical assistance for collaboration in the areas of renewables and energy efficiency. In January 2018 we signed a UK-India memorandum of understanding on bilateral cooperation in urban transport policy, planning, technology transfer and institutional organisation for transport. The UK has a five-year partnership with the Government of India to develop three smart cities in Amravati, Indore and Pune. UK and India also cooperate on environmental issues through a range of multilateral fora.

Argentina: Foreign Relations

lord northbrook: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve intergovernmental relations between the UK and Argentina.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK has made significant progress towards a more constructive relationship with Argentina since the election of President Macri in September 2015. In September 2016, the Minister for Europe and the Americas visited Argentina and agreed a Joint Communiqué that committed both countries to closer co-operation across all aspects of our relationship.As a result, co-operation is increasing, including on trade, science and innovation, anti-corruption and security issues. The Scottish Secretary, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Minister of State for International Trade (Greg Hands) all visited Argentina in 2017, and the Prime Minister last spoke to President Macri on 12 December.Our position on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands and the right of the Islanders to determine their own future remains unchanged.

Department of Health and Social Care

Prisons: Health Services

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to encourage local authorities with responsibility for scrutinising health services to exercise that function in relation to the provision of health care within custodial institutions in their area.

lord o'shaughnessy: Health and Wellbeing Boards bring together local authorities, the National Health Service and other partners to agree local priorities. They carry out Joint Strategic Needs Assessments which consider the needs of offenders. The Government is not proposing to involve itself in this local priority setting.

Radiation: Medical Equipment

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that provision is made for the implementation of European technical and safety standards in relation to medical radiation equipment used in the UK post-Brexit and the UK’s withdrawal from Euratom.

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that patients in the UK continue to receive, post-Brexit, radiological examinations and radiotherapy procedures using equipment that meets European standards of technical capability and safety.

lord o'shaughnessy: New legislation implementing European Union patient safety standards for medical exposures in the United Kingdom comes into force on 6 February 2018. These regulations ensure that individuals are protected when exposed to ionising radiation from medical equipment for imaging or treatment purposes and include provisions relating to quality assurance, testing and use of medical radiological equipment.The Department is working on ensuring the best outcome for the health and social care system following the UK’s exit from the EU. All relevant teams within the Department and other relevant Government departments and agencies are involved with this work and assessing the implications of the UK leaving the EU on their area. The UK expects to continue to be at the forefront of international activities in radiation protection through its activities with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Radioisotopes

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that (1) patients in the UK benefit from a continued supply of radiopharmaceuticals that meet the CE-marking for technical and safety standards, and (2) UK companies continue to be able to get their own items and equipment CE-marked and sold in Europe, post-Brexit and the UK’s withdrawal from Euratom.

lord o'shaughnessy: The safety and security of radioactive materials is a top priority for the Government. The United Kingdom already has robust domestic legislation in place to ensure that the keeping, movement and use of radioactive sources is tightly regulated, whether on nuclear sites or in hospitals. The UK’s regulatory regime is based on international regulatory requirements for sources informed by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The UK will continue to meet its international obligations in full and ensure that UK law and regulatory oversight continues to deliver the highest standards of safety, in line with the relevant international frameworks.Radio pharmaceuticals are also subject to European medicines regulation which establishes a licensing regime and controls on the quality of materials, as well as manufacturing and distribution processes within Europe. In the UK, human medicines are subject to national human medicines legislation which transposes the requirements of the European regulatory regime. This regime is enforced by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and MHRA will continue to do so after our withdrawal from the European Union.The Government's top priority for life sciences during the negotiations is to protect the safety of patients and ensure the integrity of cross-European public health systems. The Government will seek a mutually beneficial future partnership between the UK and EU that is in the interests of both sides, which builds on the convergence between our regulatory systems and gives business the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within European markets.

Health Services: Foreign Nationals

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the stakeholder questions on the requirement for all relevant bodies to charge upfront for treatment, which are being asked as part of the review of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 (SI 2017/756), are designed to exclude evidence relating to the impact of charging upfront prior to those Regulations coming into force; whether the review will consider evidence submitted relating to that impact; and what assessment they have made of the extent to which it is possible for a stakeholder responding to provide evidence of the impact of the requirement to charge upfront without drawing on evidence of the impact of charging upfront before that new requirement came into effect.

lord o'shaughnessy: The current review was initiated as a response to concerns that have been raised by stakeholders regarding the introduction of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Amendment) Regulations 2017, the ‘amendment regulations 2017’, and in line with the continuing public sector equalities duty in relation to these regulations. A document outlining the scope of the review, to consider the impact of the amendment regulations 2017, was shared with stakeholders in November 2017. The questions which have been sent to stakeholders since the sharing of the scope document have intentionally focused on asking for evidence relating to the impact of the amendment regulations 2017. This is in accordance with the rationale for the review and the review scope, which had previously been communicated to stakeholders.The Department is aware that, given that the amendment regulation, introduced as part of the amendment regulations 2017, requiring relevant bodies to withhold treatment from chargeable overseas visitors until the estimated full cost of the service has been paid, made a legal requirement of what was previously best practice, it may be relevant to refer to the effects of upfront charging prior to the amendment regulations 2017 coming into effect. This is acknowledged in the question documents which the Department has sent to stakeholders. For example, in the question document sent to vulnerable group’s representatives, the introduction asks for stakeholders to indicate whether the evidence they present relates to the period before or after the relevant provisions of the Amendment Regulations 2017 came into force. It is also the case that if, during the course of engaging with stakeholders as part of the review the Department were to receive evidence concerning the impact of upfront charging prior to the amendment regulations 2017 coming into force the Department would, of course, consider this evidence and take any resulting action which it judged to be necessary.

Liothyronine

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the degree to whichthe analysis contained in the NHS England document Items which should not be routinely prescribed in primary care: Guidance for CCGsjustifies the advice given that prescribers in primary care should not prescribe liothyronine (T3) for any new patients.

lord o'shaughnessy: In November 2017 NHS England published commissioning guidance for clinical commissioning groups, entitled Items which should not be routinely prescribed in primary care: A Consultation on guidance for CCGs, following a three month consultation. A joint clinical working group comprised of clinical representatives reviewed the consultation findings and made evidence-based recommendations for consideration by the NHS England Board. Liothyronine attracted a significant number of responses and following detailed review, significant amendments to the original proposals were made before being published in the finalised guidance. NHS England’s recommendations are that National Health Service consultant endocrinologists may still initiate and recommend liothyronine for new patients, following audited individual trial periods of use, as recommended by the British Thyroid Association.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Poverty

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the UK's overseas development assistance is devoted to poverty reduction.

lord bates: As set out in the UK Aid Strategy all UK Official Development Assistance seeks to achieve poverty reduction, as well as strengthen global peace, respond to crises and promote global prosperity. As the Strategy states there is no distinction between reducing poverty, tackling global challenges and serving our national interest - all are inextricably linked.

Ethiopia: Overseas Aid

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how muchaid from the Department for International Development's budget has been made available to Ethiopia, either through direct or indirect contributions in the last three years for which figures are available; and what were the main purposes of each contribution.

lord bates: DFID budget spend in Ethiopia for the last three years for which figures are available is detailed in our published Annual Report and Accounts, and shown in the table below. Further information on DFID’s current programme can be found in the DFID Ethiopia Profile, published in July 2017 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfid-ethiopia-profile-july-2017) Year201320142015Bilateral Spend (£)284,298,764338,850,044340,387,168Multilateral spend (£)241,688,266223,467,308137,118,616Centrally Managed Programme Spend (£)40,930,17348,566,77940,698,603Total (£) 566,917,203  610,884,132  518,204,387 DFID’s programme is designed to help Ethiopia in transforming into a stable, industrialised and more resilient country, able to self-finance itself out of poverty and harness the potential of its youth. As of March 2017 we had supported 1.2 million children to gain a decent education, helped 755,000 people access clean water and/or sanitation and reached 5.7 million people through nutrition related interventions. DFID’s portfolio in Ethiopia also focusses on helping to catalyse over £500 million of new investment, generating more jobs, and creating opportunities for British business in one of the fastest growing economies in the world. DFID is investing significantly to tackle migration issues and help refugees have a long-term life in Ethiopia (host to the second largest refugee population in Africa), while reducing incentives for onward migration to Europe and diminishing the influence of criminal gangs and people smugglers. And DFID has played a leading role in the response to ongoing severe drought in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, where our humanitarian funding will support over 1.2 million people with emergency food rations, give 100,000 people improved access to water and sanitation, and help 500,000 pastoralists with emergency livestock support to prevent them falling into destitution.



DFID Profile of Ethiopia - July 2017
(PDF Document, 185.37 KB)

UN Population Fund

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much was their non-core financial contribution to the United Nations Population Fund in (1) 2012–13, (2) 2013–14, (3) 2014–15, (4) 2015–16, and (5) 2016–17.

lord bates: The table below sets out how much non-core funding the UK Government provided to the United Nations Population Fund in each of the following years: YearAmount GBP £[1]2012£98,488,0002013£41,926,0002014£203,288,0002015£94,694,0002016£87,469,000The non-core spend figure for 2017 is currently unavailable. It will be published in November/December 2018 as part of the Statistics on International Development. This is an annual publication that provides final statistics on the amount of Official Development Assistance (ODA) the UK has provided as a proportion of Gross National Income (GNI) to development partners, including the United Nations Population Fund. [1] Source Statistics on International Development

Department for Education

STEM Subjects

baroness garden of frognal: To ask Her Majesty's Government which sectors are included within the definition of STEM used to inform the Careers guidance and access for education and training providers guidance published by the Department for Education in January.

baroness garden of frognal: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will monitor whether education providers are fulfilling their requirement to ensure that every young person has an encounter with an employer in each academic year from year 7 to year 13.

baroness garden of frognal: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will monitor whether education providers are fulfilling their requirement to ensure that every young person has at least one encounter with a STEM employer between the academic years of year 7 to year 13.

baroness garden of frognal: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will monitor whether education providers are fulfilling their requirement to ensure that every young person has a STEM-focused careers experience before they reach year 11.

lord agnew of oulton: The government’s careers strategy puts employers at the heart of a high-quality careers programme for young people. We are asking every school and college to use the Gatsby benchmarks that define all the elements of excellent careers provision, including encounters with employers and employees and experiences of workplaces. They will be measured against these benchmarks. Statutory guidance, ‘Careers guidance and access for education and training providers’ (attached), published in January 2018, sets out how schools meet the Gatsby benchmarks. We will shortly publish equivalent guidance for colleges. The guidance documents include an expectation that each school and college offer every young person at least one encounter with an employer each year from years 7 to 13. Due to the growing demand for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills, particularly in sectors such as engineering, construction and manufacturing, this should include encounters with STEM employers. Rather than defining STEM in a particular way, our statutory guidance sets out that schools should give pupils access to a broad range of STEM employers. We want employers of all sizes, and from all sectors, to offer encounters that inspire people and provide information regarding the skills that employers need. We have also placed a new legal duty on schools to ensure there are sufficient opportunities for young people to hear directly from providers of technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. This will ensure that young people learn about the alternatives to academic and school-based routes, leading to better-informed choices. The statutory guidance outlines that schools and colleges should begin to work towards meeting the benchmarks by the end of 2020. Schools can assess how their support compares against the benchmarks by using Compass, an online self-assessment tool developed by The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) and The Gatsby Charitable Foundation. The CEC will publish a report annually, based on data gathered from the Compass tool, showing what progress schools and colleges have made in meeting the Gatsby benchmarks. Ofsted will continue to hold schools and colleges to account for the quality of careers provision. Matters relating to careers guidance contribute to judgements under three of the four areas in the school inspection handbook, and all four areas of the further education and skills inspection handbook. Through its training and communications with inspectors, Ofsted continues to remind inspectors of the importance of careers guidance.



Careers guidance 
(PDF Document, 468.49 KB)

Intercountry Adoption

lord triesman: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Agnew of Oulton on 15 November 2017 (HL2833), when children adopted from abroad will have access to the educational entitlements referenced in the answer; and whether they will publish the letter from the Minister of State for School Standards sent to local authorities in England on the subject.

lord agnew of oulton: Educational entitlements for children adopted from outside of England remain under consideration. We have not set a timetable for any changes to educational entitlements but have given a clear commitment to amend the School Admissions Code, to give children adopted from care overseas the same entitlement for priority school admission as those adopted from care in England, at the earliest opportunity. I will place a copy of the letter from my right hon. Friend, the Minister for School Standards, in the Library of both Houses.

Further Education: Apprentices

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many further education colleges lost their allocation of non-levied apprenticeships funding in the recent Education and Skills Funding Agency procurement process; and in which regions were those colleges.

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of further education colleges losing their allocation of non-levied apprenticeship funding on (1) local employers, and (2) existing, and (3) potential, local apprentices.

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that further education colleges which have lost their allocation of non-levied apprenticeship funding can still deliver apprenticeships to local people and employers.

lord agnew of oulton: 189 colleges of further education (FE) held contracts with the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to deliver apprenticeships prior to this procurement. The ESFA received bids from 182 of these FE colleges in the procurement, of which 10 have not been offered awards. Six of these were because the bids did not meet the minimum scoring threshold, and the remaining four were due to the awards falling below the £200,000 minimum contract value, set to ensure viable contracts for providers, employers and the ESFA. The 10 colleges are dispersed around England as shown in the table below.  East Midlands0East of England1Greater London3North East0North West2South East1South West1West Midlands2Yorkshire & Humber0 All FE colleges with apprentices already in training will continue to receive funding until they have completed their learning. In addition, subject to limits on the number of starts, we have offered all existing providers that were unsuccessful in the procurement a three-month extension of their current contracts to the end of March 2018, allowing them to take on new starts. All providers who are on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers are still able to deliver to levy paying employers. Potential providers were required to indicate the sectors and regions in which they would be delivering apprenticeships in their tenders. We are confident that non-levy paying employers can access high quality apprenticeship training to support their growth and success, regardless of where in the country they operate in. We will continue to keep this under review and take action where necessary.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Standards

lord laming: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they intend to take following critical reports by HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Probation; and in particular, whether they intend to review the management of the prison service.

lord keen of elie: The Government is committed to driving improvement throughout our prison and probation services and the role of HM Inspectorates of Prisons and Probation is critical in ensuring that there is an objective and challenging assessment of our criminal justice systems.The Government therefore takes HM Inspectorate of Prisons and Probation reports seriously and created a new unit within Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) in August 2017 that is responsible for responding to their recommendations. We have also committed to publishing the action plan responses to HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) reports as a step towards greater transparency.In addition, in October 2017, we introduced quarterly meetings between senior officials in the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and HMPPS and the Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP) to explore how to make better use of HMIP recommendations.We have further bolstered this commitment by the introduction of an ‘Urgent Notification’ (UN) process which allows HMCIP to directly notify the Secretary of State on matters of serious concern observed during inspections. The Secretary of State then has 28 days to issue a response.New structures are being put in place from April 2018 to manage prisons which increases the number of Prison Groups meaning the Prison Group Directors have smaller commands in order to increase their oversight and create more operational grip.

Prisoners: Females

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many women currently in prison were resident in Greater Manchester at the time of receiving a custodial sentence.

lord keen of elie: Of the female prison population held in prisons in England and Wales on 31 December 2017 there were 171 who had a recorded origin address in Greater Manchester. Around 97% of prisoners have an origin location - i.e. addresses that are recorded in our central IT system. If no address is given, an offender’s committal court address is used as a proxy for the area in which they are resident. Those with no recorded origin are typically foreign nationals or those recently received into custody. No address has been recorded and no court information is available for around 3% of all offenders. If there are any, these figures will have been excluded from the data. The numerical information provided has been drawn from administrative IT systems, which as with any large scale recording system are subject to possible error with data entry and processing.

Road Traffic Offences: Mobile Phones

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Sugg on 22 January (HL4521), how many convictions for using a hand-held mobile phone while driving were secured in (1) 2015, (2) 2016, and (3) 2017; and in which police force areas those convictions were secured.

lord keen of elie: The number of offenders found guilty at all courts of using or causing others to use a mobile phone while driving in England and Wales, by police force area, from 2012 to 2016, can be viewed in the table below. Court proceedings data for 2017 is planned for publication in May 2018. Case volumes have been falling in lines with motoring offences in general. Offenders found guilty at all courts of 'Using or causing others to use a handheld mobile phone whilst driving', England and Wales , by police force area, 2012 to 2016 (1)(2)Police Force Area20122013201420152016Avon and Somerset22916713814156Bedfordshire3703011699993Cambridgeshire250322344324167Cheshire289308348244328Cleveland1351711373847Cumbria207102998249Derbyshire176148164213134Devon and Cornwall244225213129127Dorset295126106132122Durham107114743455Dyfed-Powys179246258479327Essex9971,359538737459Gloucestershire123111749560Greater Manchester819307383398271Gwent15882634859Hampshire345350456623403Hertfordshire351428580274197Humberside318230173179121Kent51934017311568Lancashire720855316154196Leicestershire207270169136105Lincolnshire222188203177156Merseyside738484369584583Metropolitan Police7,2445,2105,6085,7593,052Norfolk22522120912867North Wales263306283289196North Yorkshire26715710010566Northamptonshire1341321196858Northumbria330239197154104Nottinghamshire236255380585442South Wales311225210189174South Yorkshire423217148213176Staffordshire245225255243294Suffolk22217421412295Surrey464317410269151Sussex745385194288120Thames Valley7333805188171,029Warwickshire18319915462149West Mercia174281310225215West Midlands929418338517855West Yorkshire805777703564492Wiltshire2041201286143England and Wales22,13517,47216,02516,09311,961  (1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.(2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Grenfell Tower: Fires

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire are still living in hotels, bed and breakfasts or other temporary accommodation.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: As of 5th February, the latest figures from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea show that 92 households from Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk remain in emergency accommodation, which includes those living in hotels, serviced apartments and some who are living with friends and family. The Council has assured me that no residents from Grenfell Tower or Walk are living in bed and breakfast accommodation.A total of 60 households from Grenfell Tower or Walk have moved into interim accommodation. The Council has committed that the interim homes offered to residents are self-contained, fully furnished, big enough for each family and are not in a high rise building and the Council is providing advice and help to residents in setting up their interim home.We expect the Council to do whatever is necessary to ensure households can move into settled homes as swiftly as possible, but to do so sensitively and taking into account individual needs. We are working closely with the Council to support them in delivering their commitment to provide survivors with a permanent new home in social housing within one year of the fire.

High Rise Flats: Insulation

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money they have paid to local authorities since the Grenfell Tower fire to help with the recladding of tower blocks.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: We have provided financial support to local authorities for data collection and reporting on cladding on high rise private residential buildings. The total amount transferred to local authorities was £289,000.The government will also consider financial flexibilities for local authorities to undertake essential fire safety work to make buildings safe. We have not turned down any requests for such flexibilities.Building owners are responsible for funding fire safety measures.

Non-domestic Rates: Small Businesses

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that councils distribute the hardship relief funds made available to support small businesses facing business rate rises; and what sums remain unallocated.

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether councils will still have access to their year one allocation of hardship relief funds for small businesses facing business rate rises, in the event that they fail to distribute unallocated funds before April.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Local authorities are responsible for the design and implementation of their local schemes and for distributing the relief from the £300 million discretionary fund. The vast majority of billing authorities have begun implementing the relief and providing this support to eligible businesses.However, the Government has been clear that it is unacceptable that some authorities have failed to act quickly enough. In order to expedite delivery, we have written to local authority leaders and MPs and engaged directly with billing software suppliers. Since October, we have published and regularly update the list of local authorities which have started to rebill.Following, the end of the financial year any unallocated funds will be returned to Government and businesses stand to miss out, so it is imperative that authorities take all necessary action to avoid this.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to use the HM Treasury central contingencies fund to meet the costs of removing and replacing dangerous cladding on tower blocks in England.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: My Department has made clear that it considers that building owners are responsible for funding fire safety measures including replacement of dangerous cladding. Government will consider financial flexibilities for local authorities who need to undertake essential fire safety work to make a building safe. Housing associations that are concerned about their ability to meet these costs should contact the social housing regulator.

Mayors

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what checks and balances they have put in place to ensure that the actions of elected city mayors are subject to proper and impartial scrutiny.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Effective scrutiny of elected city region mayors is essential for ensuring that these mayors are that single point of accountability which underpins the devolution deals Government has entered in to with those city regions. Mayoral combined authorities are subject to the local authority accountability, audit and propriety regimes which we have strengthened by the Combined Authorities (Overview and Scrutiny Committees, Access to Information and Audit Committees) Order 2017, which Parliament has approved and which we developed with assistance from the Centre for Public Scrutiny and the National Audit Office. This Order makes special provisions about the establishment and operation of overview and scrutiny committees and audit committees in order that mayors, who are required to appear before an overview and scrutiny committee when requested, can robustly be held to account.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Genetics

viscount astor: To ask Her Majesty's Government what protocols are in place to share the genetic data of serving and retired members of the Armed Forces with the police and prosecuting authorities.

viscount astor: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Ministry of Defence refused to share genetic data with the Kent constabulary in relation toan ongoing investigation into burglaries in that area; and, if so why.

viscount astor: To ask Her Majesty's Government how long records of genetic data on members of the Armed Forces are held by the Ministry of Defence.

viscount astor: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Ministry of Defence can share genetic data relating to serving and retired members of the Armed Forces following a request bythe police for criminal investigations.

viscount astor: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times in the last ten years the Ministry of Defence has refused to share genetic data relating to serving and retired members of the Armed Forces with the police and prosecuting authorities.

viscount astor: To ask Her Majesty's Government under which circumstances the sharing of genetic data held by the Ministry of Defence with the police would breach data protection legislation.

earl howe: All DNA samples taken by the Service Police or Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) in the course of their investigations are analysed and a DNA profile is produced. This profile is then uploaded onto the National DNA Database (NDNAD) and the physical DNA samples are destroyed within six months unless they are required for disclosure as evidence, in which case they may be retained for as long as the need exists under the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act 1996. The Service Police and MDP do not maintain their own databases, meaning that any Service Police and MDP DNA searches are carried out against the NDNAD. The retention periods for DNA profiles on the NDNAD depend on the outcome of the investigation, the age of the offender and the type of offence. Entirely separate from DNA profiles which are uploaded to the NDNAD because of a Service Police or MDP investigation, and which are accessible to all Home Office Police Forces during their investigations, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) maintains DNA reference samples which are voluntarily provided by Service personnel. These are used solely for the identification of deceased Service personnel and to reduce delays for grieving families, when other methods of identification such as visual and dental are not available. Such DNA reference samples are taken by consent, which means the consent given before death remains valid for a DNA sample intended for use after death. The MOD’s voluntary DNA reference sampling policy complies with the Human Tissue Act 2004. Each DNA reference sample is stored, unanalysed, in an “un-sequenced” physical state, preventing them from being entered onto any database or used for any purposes until authorised by either a Coroner for a post-mortem or as directed by the donor. These voluntary DNA samples will be destroyed upon leaving the Service, at the request of the donor, or after 45 years, whichever is soonest. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 prohibits the un-sequenced DNA voluntarily provided by Service personnel for identification purposes from being released to the Police.

Annington Homes

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what savings the Ministry of Defence expected to make out of sales of unwanted service housing and reduction in rent negotiated with Annington Property Ltdfor the financial years (1) 2018–19, (2) 2019–20, and (3) 2020–21.

earl howe: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is forecasting sales receipts for surplus service family accommodation in the range of £1.75 - £2 million in 2018-19.No other sales are currently programmed for subsequent years.As part of the 1996 sale and leaseback arrangement with Annington Property Ltd, the MOD negotiated a 58% discount against market rent. A rent review is due with Annington Property Ltd in 2021.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the principal factors taken into account during preparation of the Mechanised Infantry Vehicle Initial Gate business case.

earl howe: The principal factors which informed the Mechanised Infantry Vehicle Initial Gate Business Case were performance, cost and time to meet the Army's needs.

Defence: Expenditure

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of defence spending over each of the past five years has been on (1) pensions, (2) pay and allowances, and (3) support and maintenance.

earl howe: The amount spent by the Ministry of Defence on pensions and pay and allowances over the last five years, and the percentage of the defence budget this equates to is shown below. Personnel support and maintenance costs are included in pay and allowances. Financial YearPensions (£ thousands)Percentage of Defence BudgetPay and Allowances (£ thousands)Percentage of Defence Budget2012-132,317,6126.89,705,82428.32013-142,211,8296.49,359,76927.12014-152,148,7136.28,888,30625.82015-163,217,9319.28,546,81624.32016-173,293,2049.38,885,25225.2

Capita

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to review the contract with Capita for armed forces recruitment.

earl howe: I can assure the noble Lord that the Army and Capita Recruiting Partnering Project, is being closely monitored.A buoyant labour market with record employment rates, combined with significant demographic changes in society, represent a challenge to Army recruitment and retention. The Army needs to continuously adapt to this and is taking action to do so. It has been working closely with Capita on a recruitment improvement plan which is now being executed. Initial signs are promising and, prior to the transition to the new Defence Recruiting System, applications had increased this financial year.The Ministry of Defence now expects Capita to deliver on improvements in converting these applicants to enlistees and will be monitoring progress closely in the coming months, including ensuring that the new Defence Recruiting System reaches full operating capability as quickly as possible.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fisheries

lord watts: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Gardiner of Kimble on 23 January (HL4649), whether they have taken legal advice on the possibility of Dutch and Spanish fishermen seeking compensation from Her Majesty's Government for the loss of access to British waters after Brexit.

lord watts: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether foreign fishermen will retain access to British quotas after Brexit if they can demonstrate that they are continuing to make an economic contribution to the UK.

lord watts: To ask Her Majesty's Government, when thereview of the Economic Link made by vessels fishing against UK quotas will be completed.

lord gardiner of kimble: Total allowable catches for quota stocks and historical access to the UK’s 6 – 12nm stem from international agreements between coastal states or international bodies which do not generally give rise to any right to compensation for individuals. Any decision by British fishermen to sell, and to buy, catching ‘rights’ (licences) to or from other fishermen or companies is a commercial one and one for fishermen alone to make. It is not for government to compensate fishermen for these business decisions. Case law established the rights of those in other Member States to invest in UK quota shares. In particular, Dutch and Spanish entities are involved in fisheries in the Southern North Sea and South West approaches respectively. To ensure that quota allocated to a Member State benefits it, it can impose “economic link” conditions to ensure benefits through, for example, landings and crew composition. We are reviewing the economic link condition and associated practices as part of the development of our future fisheries management arrangements after our withdrawal from the EU, and have commissioned a research project in order to support this work. The research project will conclude later this year. Any amendments we make to the economic link conditions will be to ensure that the seafood sector and the wider UK economy derive maximum benefit from those fishing against UK quotas.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Financial Services

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish a position paper on financial services and Brexit;and what steps they are taking to provide clarity on the implications of Brexit to the financial sector.

lord callanan: In any negotiation there are careful judgements about when and how to set things out in public and we will keep under review the best way of doing this. The Government has been clear that it retains the ambition of ensuring the City of London remains a global financial centre. We are continuing to engage extensively both with industry and with EU partners to hear their views and set out our arguments. The Prime Minister welcomed a number of senior representatives from the financial services sector to No.10 Downing Street in January 2018 to discuss the opportunities and challenges for the financial sector posed by Brexit.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Parliament: Catering

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what steps, if any,are being taken to withdraw the use of plastic straws in catering outlets and bars across the Parliamentary estate.

lord laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chairman of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.House of Lords Catering and Retail Services (CRS) will be trialling the removal of straws from customer-facing areas in the catering outlets and bars managed by CRS. If the trial is successful we envisage a significant reduction in the volume of straws used. CRS are also investigating what alternative straws are available with improved environmental credentials, for example fully biodegradable alternatives or paper straws. CRS envisage that this review, being undertaken in conjunction with colleagues in the House of Commons, will be completed by the end of February.

House of Lords

lord hunt of chesterton: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what steps he plans to take to engage the devolved parliaments and assemblies in the work of the House.

lord mcfall of alcluith: There are a number of areas where we currently engage the devolved parliaments and assemblies in the work of the House. For example, the European Union Committee has twice visited Belfast in the course of its work on the impact of Brexit on UK-Irish relations, most recently on 31 January. It also engaged closely with devolved governments and legislatures in its 2017 inquiry into Brexit: devolution, visiting Cardiff and Edinburgh before publishing its report on 19 July 2017.Following a recommendation contained in that report, on 12 October 2017 I chaired the first meeting of the Interparliamentary Forum on Brexit, attended by chairs and convenors of committees involved in scrutinising Brexit from the House of Lords, the House of Commons, the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales, along with officials from the Northern Ireland Assembly. I then chaired the second meeting of the Forum, again at the House of Lords on 18 January. This engagement is set to continue, with the third meeting of the Forum due to take place in Edinburgh in March. I have also met the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union to discuss engagement with the devolved parliaments and assemblies.As well as engaging the devolved parliaments and assemblies in our work, staff from across the Administration work formally and informally with their opposite numbers in the devolved parliaments and assemblies, in line with the House Administration’s strategy, to take account of best practice in other organisations. In keeping this two-way engagement, I have ensured that representatives of the devolved parliaments and assemblies have been invited to submit evidence to the current review of Select Committees. In addition, I have also met with a number of colleagues from the devolved parliaments and assemblies as Senior Deputy Speaker and look forward to continuing this work in future.

Women and Equalities

Females: Insurance

baroness hussein-ece: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the report from the Chartered Insurance InstituteWomen's Risks in Life.

baroness williams of trafford: I note the report and welcome the CII’s wider Insuring Women’s Future initiative, with its aim of prompting the insurance industry to develop better solutions for women. Headline policies driven by the Government Equalities Office – for example, gender pay gap reporting, promoting family friendly policies – may help address some of the issues underlying risk factors identified in the report.